


Baby You Should Stick Around

by Kittendiamore



Series: Side by Side by Side [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Multi, Past Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 02:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3511184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittendiamore/pseuds/Kittendiamore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You do know that doors exist, right? We had them in the forties, too,” Bucky says, wiping the blood from his split brow out of his eye.</p><p>“Going through the windows was quicker,” Steve replies, innocently, like jumping through fifth floor windows in a spray of glass was a totally appropriate thing to do.</p><p>Peggy laughs, taking off her torn jacket.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby You Should Stick Around

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically a sequel to Find Us Side by Side, but if you don’t want to read that, then all you really need to know is that everyone’s a supersoldier and Bucky and Peggy got married while Steve was on ice.

“You do know that doors exist, right? We had them in the forties, too,” Bucky says, wiping the blood from his split brow out of his eye.

“Going through the windows was quicker,” Steve replies, innocently, like jumping through fifth floor windows in a spray of glass was a totally appropriate thing to do.

Peggy laughs, taking off her torn jacket.

“I’m sorry,” says Tony, “the windows thing was impressive and all, but I’m more focusing on the part when Cap actually _bit_ the evil wizard guy. That was dirty.”

Bucky snorts. “He once threw literal dirt in Ethan O’Cleary’s eyes during a fight.”

“Aww come on, I needed every advantage I could get back then.”

“Oh, is this the fight I heard about that happened in that alley?” Peggy asks, “Or was it the parking lot? Or behind that diner?”

“What am I doing here?” Steve asks, rhetorically. “I could be out there talking to all the _grateful_ people I _saved_ who actually appreciate the things I do.”

“What’re you talking about?” asks Bucky. “I plenty appreciate the time you threw your shoe at a guy.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving,” Steve moans, but he doesn’t make any attempt to move from his seat. It would be rude to leave before they even got their post-battle meals. That’s the only reason. He hasn’t even noticed that he’s sitting between the two most radiant ninety year olds in history.

Peggy grins at him while Bucky kicks his foot gently, from under the table.

No, not at all.

-

The thing about being newly reunited with the recently unfrozen love of your life (who you once had a threesome with and then married the almost-girlfriend of) is that there’s no real precedent on how to behave. Bucky decides to go with the tried and tested method of pretending nothing is different or awkward at all.

It’s totally a coincidence that the three of them accept Tony’s standing offer of a room (read: entire freaking floor) in Avenger’s Tower in the same week. It’s also a complete fluke that they all happen to want their morning coffees at the same ridiculous ungodly hour in the shared kitchen every day. (But, seriously Steve, five a.m. isn’t even a real time, it’s a joke time, who the fuck voluntarily wakes up that early?).

And yet, despite standing ‘accidental’ coffee dates and group movie nights and day trips around New York together, every time Bucky or Peggy even suggest Steve come spend time with them on their floor it’s always a variation of:

“I wanted to get a few hours in at the gym.”

“Sam and I were planning on getting lunch today actually.”

“You know what, I’m actually really tired.”

“Does it seem quiet to you? Maybe too quiet. I should go for a run and make sure there are no mutant man-slime hybrids waiting to attack.”

etcetera, etcetera, et-fucking-cetera.

-

“We need a game plan,” Bucky says, getting dressed (once again, at ridiculous a.m).

“We could just talk to him,” Peggy suggests.

 

“No,” Bucky frowns, “that’ll never work. What if we _forget_ to put clothes on this morning?”

“Then poor JARVIS will be getting quite a lot of material for Tony’s blackmail collection.”

“But otherwise, it would totally work, right?”

“Definitely.”

-

They less ask him out for lunch and more make it clear he’s expected to show up at the restaurant.

“Is he…?” Bucky tilts his sunglasses down like he can’t believe his eyes.

“He is,” Peggy agrees dryly.

Steve smiles at the old woman he just helped cross the road and says something to her before he joins them.

“Steve Rogers, you player,” Bucky says.

Steve gives him that (adorable) confused look he gets sometimes, “What?”

“Going for girls your own age I see,” he replies.

“Don’t listen to him, Steve,” Peggy says.

“Thank _you_ , Peggy.”

“I think it’s good you’re putting yourself out there,” she finishes.

The look Steve gives them is betrayed. “Geez, you’d think you guys would have some better material after the seventy years I gave you to think it up.”

Peggy laughs and links arms with him, Bucky throwing an arm around his shoulder on the other side. “Come on,” she says, “We’ll be late for our reservation.”

The lunch date is the most fun they’ve had in a while; all easy banter and laughing ‘til it hurts. Steve even smiles indulgently when Peggy rests her head on his shoulder and Bucky brushes the hair out of his eyes.

-

“Steve,” Peggy says, “You should come to our floor, I want to show you something.”

Steve gives them a strained smile, “Another time,” he says, “I’ve got to get a work-out in today.”

-

“Are you following me?” Steve asks, a week later.

“What makes you think that?” Bucky raises an eyebrow, black hoodie making him look like any other guy.

Steve turns a circle, showcasing their environment. “I didn’t realise you liked spending your time at art museums now.”

“I like spending my time with you,” he replies, “where-ever that is.”

“So…” Steve drawls, “What you’re saying is that you _are_ following me.”

“I’m secretly hoping you’ll drop a tissue or something that I can sell for a million,” Bucky agrees.

Steve laughs.

They walk together for a while before Steve speaks again.

“Where’s Peggy?”

“What am I, her keeper?”

“Her husband,” Steve replies.

“I don’t know. I told her to feel free in helping me stalk you but…”

“She actually has important things to do with her time?”

“Hmm,” Bucky murmurs, noticing that they’re finally in a relatively private spot. “You know we never spoke about it, during the war.”

“Spoke about what?” Steve asks, eyeing the exits probably.

“You know what,” Bucky says. “Us. The three of us.”

“I didn’t think we needed to talk about it.”

“Hmm,” Bucky repeats.

“We were in the middle of a war, Buck.”

“We’re not anymore.”

Steve looks around, purposefully being about as subtle as a freight train when he gazes longingly at a bright EXIT sign. “It’s been decades.”

“Not for you.”

“It’s fine, I get it,” Steve says.

“Do you?”

“You’re married now, it’s okay. Can we stop talking about it?”

“Steve-”

“Look, I’m meant to be meeting up with Sharon while she’s in the city, I should go.”

-

“Well,” Bucky says, to no one. “That went well.”

-

Barnes [13:15:01]: he’s getting lunch with sharon???

Peggy [13:17:31]: He’s allowed to have friends other than us.

Barnes [13:18:12]: at least he’s keeping it in the family :/

Peggy [13:18:46]: Did you talk to him?

Barnes [13:18:59]: ugh

Barnes [13:19:40]: is operation ‘accidentally naked’ still a no go?

Barnes [13:27:12]: peg???

-

“I’m not sure I understand,” Thor says, frowning at Steve. “You are fond of both James Barnes and his betrothed and yet you distance yourself from them.”

Steve’s not even sure how Thor noticed.

“It’s not like it was back, well, before. They’ve been married for seventy years and I can hardly compare to that kind of love with something that’s an ancient memory for them.”

“Ah,” Thor says, “That must be why Margaret and James both light up at the mere sight of you.”

“Oh my God,” comes a dry voice from the window sill where she’s perched. “Thor has mastered sarcasm before Steve has figured out basic human emotion. What a day to be alive.”

“Natasha. When did you get here?” Steve asks.

“The Widow has been here for the last ten minutes, Captain. I apologise for not mentioning it, but I’ve realised she enjoys hiding,” Thor says.

“Fifteen,” Natasha corrects, raising an eyebrow, “but you _did_ notice me much quicker than most. Consider me impressed twice in one day, Thor.”

-

There’s one photo out there that Steve had found, that’s of the three of them. Steve’s leaning over a map and talking to someone off camera. Bucky is to his left, and Peggy to his right, and Peggy is grinning at the long suffering look on Bucky’s face.

Steve remembers the moment from a second later, when he’d been distracted by the sound of them laughing together. It was one of the best things he’d ever heard.

-

“Steve,” Bucky walks into the common area.

Steve jumps up, “Hey Buck, can’t stay and chat I’ve got a-”

“Oh, fuck this,” Bucky steps in close, “Kiss me already.”

Then he pushes Steve back until his leg hit the coffee table, and they’re kissing.

(seventy fucking years late)

Steve makes a small noise and then he’s clutching at Bucky’s shoulders like he isn’t sure whether to pull him in or push him back but it’s okay because he’s kissing back at least, with that single minded focus that Bucky thought he’d dreamed.

Bucky is just about to (any minute now) find the restraint to pull away long enough to suggest they relocate when in walks Clint fucking Barton.

Steve pushes him away like he’s on fire, and gives Bucky this shocked look like he wasn’t the one who had just undone the top two buttons of Bucky’s shirt.

“I’m just,” Steve says, “going to-”

“Go,” Bucky agrees, not unkindly. He wants to say more but he also doesn’t want to air his private life out in front of Clint.

Clint is staring at him in shock while Steve exits.

“Okay,” Bucky says, “This looks bad.”

“Hey!” Clint glares, “That’s my thing.”

-

Peggy find him on the roof. “Word on the street is,” she says, sitting next to him. “You got caught making moves on my husband.”

“Peggy, I-” Steve begins, then he looks up at her. She’s smiling.

“Steve,” she says softly, “honestly I think you two have the most communication issues of anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Used to expressing ourselves with fists,” Steve smiles, ruefully.

“I want to tell you a story,” Peggy says, “because I think it might help.”

“Go ahead,” Steve says.

“After the war,” she begins, “and before we’d realised just how long we had to live, James and I decided we’d try to do things right. And well, Howard had already bought us a house as an elaborate wedding gift, so we tried to make a go of things. It was a rough first year, because we were grieving you and trying to come to terms with all that had happened in the war. But we tried.  
          “And after a year, we went to Howard and he found us some very confidential scientists and doctors and it turns out something about the serum that we’d both been given, well, it made us incompatible to conceive a child with each other. It was just some unknown side effect. Of course we were both quite upset at the time, and I think. I think a part of James thought that he deserved it, you know, as punishment for marrying me when he thought it should have been you.”

“I could never be mad at you for moving on,” Steve cut in.

“I know,” Peggy says, calmly. “But back then we’d had a lot of unspoken guilt over you, and here Bucky was, thinking he was being punished for loving me. So, one night, we decided maybe it was best to take a break from each other. I stayed in New York and kept working for the government, and Bucky joined Howard’s expedition that was searching for you.”

Peggy smiles at him, “And that’s when I met Angie. She ended up being quite the popular actress, but at the time she was a waitress. And well, when I got word that Bucky was coming back (he’d realised you’d have preferred he lived his life than spent it chasing your ghost) so that we could try again, I was so worried he’d be mad but. He just took one look at Angie and I and he said it was okay.”

-

“I mean, I’m shocked and everything, I hadn’t realised you liked -” Bucky had said, “ _well_ if anyone can understand what it’s like to love two people, it ought to be me.”

-

“Peggy,” Steve says, “It’s not that I don’t want to hear everything about you, but why are you telling me this?”

“Because it’s alright,” she says. “Bucky and I couldn’t understand why you kept avoiding us at first, but. Well, I just wanted you to know that it’s alright, if you only want him. I can understand that you’ve known him for so much longer than we knew each other and it’s okay. But I want you to know that Bucky and I didn’t stop loving you, we didn’t stop griev-”

-

“Wow, Rogers,” Bucky says, when he comes to find them later, “Leave you alone for two seconds and you make a move on my wife.”

Peggy manages to stop kissing Steve for long enough to look at him from Steve’s lap and rolls her eyes. “I thought you were meant to be more action than words, dear.”

“Is that a challenge?” He asks

“Only if you’re gonna shut up and get over here already,” Steve replies.

“Make me,” Bucky says, but he’s already on his way to them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't actually going to post this because I had mixed feelings about it, but then I figured it was better than letting it disappear in my many, many half finished files.
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr: romannova.tumblr.com


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